Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Faruk Yahaya has said the forthcoming 2023 general election must be peaceful, calling on all the formation commanders of the Nigerian Army to ensure conducive and secure atmosphere in their Areas of Responsibility (AOR) for the successful conduct of the coming 2023 elections.
Gen. Yahaya gave the directive while flagging off the commencement of Operation Safe Conduct in all Army divisions and formations across the country, according to a statement that was issued by Army Public Relations Brigadier-General, Onyema Nwachukwu.
The COAS reiterated the resolve of the Army to strictly adhere to its constitutional role by supporting the Nigeria Police, which is the lead security agency in the 2023 elections security architecture and other security agencies.
He directed all commanders to identify and dominate flash points in their areas of responsibility, adding that troops must be alert, proactive and operate jointly with sister services and other security agencies during the elections.
Asking the commanders to deploy requisite logistics to ensure security and safety of citizens during the elections, he urged them to be professional, apolitical and adhere strictly to extant Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement guiding personnel throughout their operations.
He warned that any infraction on the provisions of the Code of Conduct will not be treated with levity.
The COAS maintained that all deployments must be joint and in support of the Nigeria Police.
He observed that all eyes are on the security agencies, and that the citizens expect nothing short of free and fair elections. “You must therefore refrain from hobnobbing with political gladiators and maintain your apolitical stance,” he averred.
It will be recalled that the COAS in an effort to ensure that the laws of the land and personal liberties and rights of citizens are not compromised, recently approved the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement Nigerian Army personnel during Operation Safe Conduct 2023.
